Compared to the "selmer USA mouthpiece" on my Taiwanese Selmer As500 it made all the difference. The sound deepened, my highs and lows were more fluid, and the notes are easier to bend, since it is a jazz piece. The only drawback from switching from my std. piece is that it take more air to blow into than the old one, mostly because it has the larger opening, which takes getting use to if your a beginner like myself.